Is Malwarebytes Premium Worth It?

A question I often get asked by readers is “Is Malwarebytes Premium worth it?”. This is a very valid question! You don’t want to waste your hard earned dollars on a crappy or unnecessary program. There is a free and a premium version of Malwarebytes and they have different features. The free version is very bare bones while the premium version boasts a lot more functionality. But is that functionality worth buying the premium version? Let’s take a look:

Version Features

Malwarebytes Free – This version of Malwarebytes is just the basic search and remove function for malware that already exists on your computer. That’s about it. So if you have some weird adware or keylogger on your computer you can download Malwarebytes for free to remove it. However, that’s where it ends. There is no protection against new threats, which can be a problem with newer attacks that work fast and are more aggressive.

Malwarebytes Premium – The premium version adds a lot more functionality and protection.

Prevents spyware and malware infections – the premium version will stop spyware and malware from installing itself on your computer, whether through a sneak attack, drive by installation, or a “piggyback” installation.

Stops Ransomware attacks – probably the most costly and damaging attack, ransomware locks up all of your files behind a very powerful encryption. You then have to pay the hackers for the “key” to break the encryption and free your files. Ransomware is almost impossible to remove once it’s on your computer. However Malwarebytes can stop this before it gets on your computer.

Internet Browsing Protection – Malwarebytes will monitor your internet browsing and stop you from visiting or being redirected to a site that is potentially hazardous. This means you’ll be safe from sneaky redirects that can exist on websites and even in the ads on a website.

Automatic protection updates – this means that Malwarebytes is constantly updating its protection algorithms utilizing what they call “machine learning technology”. Since they have access to millions of malware reports they can stay abreast of all the latest malware technology. They then automatically update and apply this to your computer’s protection system.

Automatic updates of latest definitions – The premium version automatically checks for new malware definition updates and upgrades the software for you. If you have the free version it will not automatically update the malware definitions for you. You’ll have to do this manually or re-install the latest version. This is a lot of effort and most people will miss a step, leaving themselves open to an attack.

So What Does This Mean?

This might be a lot to digest. However, the important key is that Malwarebytes Premium vs Malwarebytes Free is basically down to the fact that the premium version will stop an attack before it gets on your computer.

If you think you can just do without the automatic protections, then you could be in for a rude awakening. Malware can sometimes lock up your computer so badly that you won’t even be able to use the free version in the first place to remove it.

Additionally, new malware technology is designed to work so fast that it can quickly get what it needs before it’s detected and removed. Unless, of course, you stop it before it gets on your PC in the first place.

My Experience With Premium

Case in point: I was using the Premium version (that I bought myself) and I accidentally typed in the address of one of my favorite cryptocurrency websites wrong, and pressed enter. After I pressed enter I realized my mistake but it was too late. My browser went into a crazy redirection spiral, and I thought I was going to get seriously attacked by some malware (and because it was related to cryptocurrency I thought my accounts might be at risk).

However, Malwarebytes Premium stepped in and stopped the redirect spiral before it loaded anything. It came up with a splash page on my browser that the website was not safe. In this case it had redirected me to something called “inclk.com” which is highly suspect.

So, I have decided that I’m going to continue to run Malwarebytes Premium on my computer. I do too much banking and personal finance on my machine to risk getting infected. And it only takes a small typo to get sent down the rabbit hole like I almost did.

Conclusion

I definitely recommend the premium version. There’s nothing wrong with the free version, but it’s just too “after the fact” for me to be comfortable with. If you want the best security for your computer then definitely get Malwarebytes Premium. It’s definitely worth it.

3 comments

I agree. When I knew I had Malware and my IT sons were too busy to help, I didn’t want to pay a lot before they got “unbusy.” But this old Great-Granny didn’t like being without my computer! I told MSN where I thought the Malware was and the first thing they did was run Malwarebytes Premium. The same thing wth Samsung. Apparently both these firms thought it necessary to run Malwarebytes Premium. I had already run Malwarebytes Premium. I had watched carefully while a crooked Malwarebytes representative planted something in the root of my computer but no one would believe me. I finally got a free copy of a Malwarebytes Product that even checked for problems in your roots. This Gray haired Granny got a new dye job that day! I was sold on Malwarebytes Premium! And their other products. While they have used other companies to sell and adminitor their family of products, which has caused some confusion, I will continue to use them. Perhaps I will use anothe product as a day-to-day program, Malwarebytes will always be my Premium Problem solver should I need one.

Andrew here from Australia. Is malwarebytes premium better then AVAST or similar protection services. I have had people that live in my building hacking my WI Fi…and others in same building have complained about similar issues.

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